5 ways breastfeeding made me feel like I had superpowers

My husband nicknamed me ‘magic boobs’ when our sons were babies — and this had zero sexual connotations, in case you are wondering.

Whenever he couldn’t settle or soothe our bubba, he would pass him over to me, ‘magic boobs’, and a suckle of mama’s milk would often be all it took to make things right again in our little one’s world.

In this way, I think breastfeeding made me feel like I had superpowers and there were five ways I harnessed that power.

1. Casting a spell on my newborn

When my squidgy, pink-skinned newborn was first placed on my chest, he instinctively searched for my breast. It was as if he knew that the answer to all his needs lay in him finding my nipple. When he did, and my colostrum filled his tiny tummy with all the good things he needed at that exact point in time, he was soothed from the shock of being born. That first breastfeed was also incredibly bonding for the two of us. He was spellbound by his mummy, and I had fallen in love.

2. Turning my babies into milk drunks and junkies

As our breastfeeding journey continued, I became all to aware that I’d created little drunks. After a feeding ‘bender’ my babies would resemble an intoxicated sailor. Unable to hold their heads up or stay awake. It was as if my breast milk were a drug and they were junkies helplessly addicted to it.

3. Magically solving their every woe

Although it was exhausting always being ‘on-tap’, breastfeeding away my babies’ every upset, made me feel more powerful than Wonder Woman. I was the answer to their hunger, but also everything else. From needing to be reassured to soothing teething pain, a suckle on my ‘magic boobs’ was often all that was needed to calm the storm.

4. Hypnotising them to sleep

I am convinced there must be some sort of sedative in breast milk because my babies were unable to fight its sleepy powers. One minute they would be hungrily sucking away and the next, I’d be tickling their cheeks trying to keep them awake for the rest of the feed. I used this sleepy power to my advantage, of course, feeding them into oblivion whenever I needed to get them to sleep and then transferring them to their little beds. Although breastfeeding became a sleep aid for both of my babies, looking back I don’t care. If breastfeeding makes babies sleep, then I say milk it and use it when you need to stop pacing the floor.

5. A relaxation tonic for me

With my breastfeeding superpowers in full swing for my baby, I began to notice that a breastfeed would also help to relax me. Just as my baby was using my boobs to soothe him, a breastfeed would also help me to unwind, thanks to my body releasing a special relaxation hormone called prolactin whenever I fed (thank you very much Mother Nature).

So fellow breastfeeding mama, you are actually a superhero right now. Harness your powers and use them to your advantage.